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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. G. PLUMER. WATER ELEVATOR.

No. 560,146. Patented Ma 1.2, 1896.

WIQWESSES INVENTOR 4 W @m V a: 0 4W,

ANDREW B GRAHAM. PHOTU-u'muwAsmNGmNJ c (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. O. PLUMER.

WATER ELEVATOR.

No. 560,146. Patented May 12,1896.

14 Qizfimm/ @6 0% l .dttorney UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE C. PLUMER, OF COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA.

WATER-ELEVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,146, dated May 12,1896. Application filed July 8,1895. Serial No. 555,314.. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE G. PLUMER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Columbia, in the county of Richland and State of SouthCarolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVater-Elevators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the invention. Fig. 2is a perspective view of the well-house. Fig. 3 is a sectional view ofthe weighted piston and a portion of the cylinder. Fig. 4 is a frontView of the windlass. Figs. 5 and 5 are detail views of the removablepiston-weight. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view of one of thecylinder-joints.

This invention relates to water-elevators of the class shown anddescribed in my Patent No. 2143114, dated April 15, 1879; and itconsists in the novel construction and combination of parts, all ashereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of the invention is principally to provide means of improvedcharacter for maintaining at any desired place a head or pressure ofwater without the use of a tank or equivalent device.

A further object is to provide means for antomatically equalizing thepressure throughout the movement of the weighted piston which isemployed to create the head or pressure; also to provide an improvedconstruction of the cylinder in which the said piston operates and ofthe piston itself. Other minor objects will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates a wellto which I have shown the invention as applied. Supported verticallywithin this well and extending nearly or quite the full depth thereof isa hollow cylinder B, which is composed of a series of superposed shortsections united by male and female joints 0. To form these joints, theends of the sections are formed with the surrounding horizontal flangesb, one end of each section having a vertical flange or extension 0 belowthe flange I), which forms the male portion of the joint, while at theopposite end is an annular rabbeted seat (1. In setting the sections theflange c of one section is dropped into the rabbet of the contiguoussection and the flanges Z) are bolted together. The male and femaleparts being accurately fitted, a perfect joint is formed without thenecessity for grinding the meeting faces of the sections and without theuse of gaskets. I also secure without difficulty a perfect alinement ofthe sections, which is a matter of great importance, as will be apparentwhen the working of the piston within the cylinder is considered. Iprefer that the sections should not exceed five feet in length, and theyshould be cast of varying lengths within this limit in order to suit anywell without the necessity for cutting a section. The lower end of thelower section is closed by a suitable plug D.

Around the mouth of the well I set a foundation E for a well-house F andext-end the cylinder to the floor F of such house.

G is a floor-plate which is bolted or otherwise seeured to the floor F,and which has a flange f, which fits the rabbeted seat in the upper endof the top section of the cylinder.

The foundation E of the well-house is ventilated upon two or more sidesby means of wire gratings G and is provided at one end with a door G.The ventilators not only admit air to the well, but by permitting acirculation underneath the well-house the floor F is prevented fromrotting, as would otherwise soon occur.

The lower section of the cylinder is tapped near the bottom of the wellto receive a short horizontal pipe-section II, which constitutes boththe induct and the educt of the cylinder. Connected to said pipe is avertical shell or casting I, the lower portion of which is perforated toform a strainer, and to the upper portion of which is connected thedelivery or service pipe J, which extends to the top of the well andfrom thence to any desired point or points. Vithin the case or shell Iare two downwardly-seating ValvesK K, one above and one below thepipe-section II, the former constituting the educt and the latter theinduct valve. lVithin the cylinder is a weighted piston that travelsfrom one end to the other.

Said piston consists of a central vertical rod L, a centralguide-section L, end sections L and friction weights L above and below.The sections L L are supported on the rod L by means of a collar Z andare held together by a nut Z. The end sections are tapered at theirpressure ends, as at 1 and are packed and jacketed with leather cups M,said sec tions with the jackets removed being of somewhat less diameterthan the central or guide section L. Said jackets are preferably skivedoff, as indicated at m, to correspond with the taper of the endsections, in order that the pressure of the water may act to betteradvantage to press the cups against the walls of the cylinder. Thestationary weights L above and below the piston proper are of smallerdiameter, being out of contact with the walls of the cylinder and areintended to counterbalance the actual friction of the piston. Thepiston-rod L is connected by a wire cable or rope N, running over apulley N, secured to a beam of the well-house, to the drum 0 of awindlass 0.

Above the weights L are a series of removable weights I which are ofmale and female character and slotted from side to center for easyadjustment. By means of these weights the pressure is regulated asdesired.

Q is a conical cap which fits over the mouth of the cylinder and througha small opening in the apex of which the rope or cable N passes. Thiscap is intended to protect the cylinder from dirt and dust. Upon thecontact of the piston-weights therewith upon the upstroke the cap islifted, but drops back into place again as the piston descends. Tofacilitate the entrance of the piston into the cylinder, the mouth ofthe floor-plate is made somewhat conical or flaring, as indicated at p.

R designates a tank which is supported underneath the well-house andwhich is comparatively shallow in comparison with its area. Running fromthe lower portion of this tank to the upper portion of the cylinder is apipe R. The said tank also has a drainage-pipe R The operation of theelevator is as follows: As the piston is hoisted by the operation of theWindlass the water follows in vacuum to the height of thirty-two feet,or thereabout. lVhen the winding ceases and the Windlasscrank isreleased, the weighted piston rests upon the water-column, and if a cockis opened on a service or delivery pipe water will be dischargedtherefrom. Upon closing the cook the water ceases to flow and the pistonceases to move until water is drawn again. In this manner water may bedrawn until the cylinder is exhausted, when the winding is repeated.

The purpose of the tank '1 is as follows: It is obvious that when thepiston is at the top of the cylinder there is a maximum head or pressurein the service-pipe, and that as the piston descends this head orpressure decreases in a corresponding ratio. In order,

therefore, to provide a constant head or pressure, it is necessary toconstantly increasethe weight on the piston. To provide this constantincrease of pressure is the ofiice of the tank, which is filled, orpractically filled, with water. As the piston descends water flows fromthis tank into the cylinder above the piston, forming a column ofconstantlyincreasing height and weight, which causes a uniform head orpressure to be maintained at the service-pipe during the entiredownstroke of the piston. As the piston is raised the water flows backinto the tank, so that as the lift becomes greater the weight isdiminished, and a uniform expenditure of power is required during thewhole operation of winding. This, it will be seen, is a great advantageover the use of metallic weights entirely, since with the latter notonly is the cost greater, but there is no uniformity of pressure.

It will be observed that the piston has a broad bearing in thecylinder,the friction of which is counterbalanced by the stationary weights, sothat there is no liability of water being forced up by the piston. Theweight column of water above the piston also forms a seal.

Inasmuch as the cylinder is necessarily airtight, it follows that thewater delivered by the service-pipe is perfectly fresh, having lost noneof its gases by contact with the air; also that as the temperaturewithin the well a few feet below ground is nearly constant the water inthe cylinder will be kept cool. The service-pipe can be extendedthroughout a dwelling-house or other building, to the barn or otheroutbuilding, and to the lawn. Sufficient head or pressure can beobtained to maintain hot and cold water service throughout the building.

The invention is also useful in cities when the water-pressure fails toreach the upper stories, as the cylinder and its adjuncts can beattached directly to the city service-pipe.

It will be observed that the shaft 0 of the winding-drum 0 of theWindlass is squared at both ends to receive cranks S. These cranks willbe employed only in case of fire, when time is to be gained, or at suchother times as may be desirable. Ordinarily the winding is accomplishedby placing one of the cranks upon the square shaft T of a pinion T whichis geared to a large wheel T 011 the shaft 0, or upon a second shaft S,which is geared to the shaft T. The latter arrangement is especiallyadapted for women and children when time is not so much the object ascomparative ease in winding.

No pawl and ratchet are required for the Windlass, as the resistance ofthe water upon the piston when the service-cocks are closed performsthis function.

By removing the floor-plate G the entire cylinder can be readily movedfrom the well.

It will be observed that the pipe R, which connects the tank R with thecylinder, cominunicates with the latter some distance below its upperend, whereby said cylinder has an extension beyond the top of the tank.lVhen the piston is raised entirely out of the cylinder for repair orthe adjustment of its weights, it will be noted that the cylinderremains full of water, and were it not for this extension there would bean overflow at the top when the piston was removed. Said extension alsoforms a guide for the piston the full length of its stroke.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein described water-elevator, comprising the verticalsectional cylinder, the plug closing the lower end of and supportingsaid cylinder upon the bottom of the well or reservoir, the induct andeduct pipe H coinmunicating with the lower portion of said cylinder, theperforated valve-casing connected to the said pipe, the service ordelivery pipe connected to said casing, the parallel valves therein, thesectionally-weighted piston arranged to reciprocate the full length ofsaid cylinder, the water-tank arranged to discharge into said cylinderbelow its upper end, and below the limit of the upward movement of saidpiston, and windlass mechanism for raising said piston, substantially asspecified.

2. In a water-elevator, the piston consisting of the rod, the centralguide-sections, the end sections, having the tapered portions, the cup-leather jackets for said end sections skived or thinned opposite to thetaper of the end sections, the friction-weights above and below thecentral and end sections, and the slotted weights above the upperfrictionweights, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 40 in presence of twowitnesses.

EUGENE C. PLUMER. IVit-nesses:

GEO. H. PARMELEE, GEO. M. ANDERSON.

